Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

the holeshot in the first of four 10lap Expert heat races, but by the end of lap one Jones was in command for good and Graham had settled his Rob Muzzy-tuned Honda into second spot for the duration. A battle for third developed between California's Ted Taylor, Cornwell and Aaron Hill. Atherton, whose Harley was suffering transmission ills, worked his way through the pack after a poor start. By mid-race Jones had 'a 1.31second edge on Graham, which he stretched to 3.67 seconds by the final flag. Cornwell finished third to take the last direct transfer to the final, leaving the hard-charging Atherton in fourth. Bryan Villella and his Staab Racing Harley finished fifth. The second heat was a Scott Parker benefit race. Mertens was first off the line, but Parker was leading the heat by turn one and was never headed. An intense four-way battle for second developed between Mertens, California Harley pilot Pete Hames, Maryland's Rodney Farris, and former Grand National Champion Steve Eklund, who was riding the second ex-Doug Chandler Honda in the field. Sacramento marked the first time in his career that Eklund had raced an RS750. Parker clocked a 39.I4-second circuit on lap two, a 39.95-circuit on lap four, and by mid-race held a 4.66second edge. By the checkers he had turned that advantage into a 7.89second margin of victory. The race for second became a three-man battle on lap seven when Eklund's Honda surrendered its spirit during the run down the front straight. The remaining trio swapped the lead for the rest of the heat and finished in classic mileracing fashion. Mertens led off turn four and down the straight on the final lap but was drafted on the inside by Farris and on the' outside by Hames as the three riders crossed the finish line. Farris took second, Hames had the last transfer by inches and Mertens had to settle for a semi berth. Carr took the holeshot in heat three, followed by Ohio's George Roeder II and Chandler. The D8cS . Racing pilot drafted Roeder on the back straight a half lap into the race and the top three was set. Carr turned the timers at 39.37 seconds on lap four, and finished the race with a 1.34-second lead on Chandler. Aseltine crashed in turn three while running sixth. He was unhurt and the motorcycle received only minor damage. Heat four featured a Honda battle between Sponseller Racing teammales Ingram and Morehead, and Texan Poovey. Ingram look the holeshot, followed by Morehead and Poovey. The Texan shuffled the desk on lap two when he took second from Morehead going into turn one, and followed by drafting Ingram going into turn three. Ingram slipped off the narrow groove in turn three, allowing Morehead to scoot under, and the Findlay Flyer set his sights on leader Poovey. Morehead pressured Poovey hard for two laps, then repeated Ingram's mistake. Morehead slipped off the groove in tum three on lap four, allowing Ingram to move back into second. Morehead's miscue set the final order. Veteran Harley pilot Morehead was having trouble steering his Honda, which boasts an engine from one of Shobert's '88 mounts as well as a special frame with dual rear shocks. The special chassis was designed and built by Sponseller Racing tuner Skip Eaken. "We're running,a dual shock chassis beCause it sets and fits me like a Harley," said Morehead. "The Chris Carr, Scott Parker and Terry Poovey in winner's circle. Hondas are different. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks." Semis. The first of two lO-lap Expert semis was the barnburner of lhe night. .Before winner Villella and runner-up Mertens claimed the two transfer spots to the main, the duo changed the lead no less than nine times. They were followed closely for the full 10 laps by Californian Rob Damron and new Harley factory' team rider Kevin Atherton, who rounded out the top four at the finish. In the closing laps, it looked as if Mertens might break away, bUl Villella and crew had closed the gap by the white flag lap. Villella took the lead with a danng inside pass going into turn one on the final goaround. Mertens couldn't get back around. Texan Willie McCoy trailed California's Don Howard for most of the second semi, but Howard's Aztec Racing Harley quit going into turn one on lap eight, giving McCoy a lead he would hold till the end. "When I went into turn one il dropped a valve," said Howard wilh a smile. "End of story." McCoy, running an ex-Chris Carr engine built by Kenny Tolbert, look the win over Ohio riders Chance Darling and Scott Stump. Last Chance Qualifier The 10-lap Last Chance Qualifier was an ali-out, 10-lap war between brothers Brian and Kevin Alherton. Aaron Hill look the holeshot, followed by Damron and Stump. The Athertons were mired in traffic. By lap five Damron had settled into the lead and the Athertons, Brian on his Gardner Racing Harley and Kevin on his factory Harley, were fighting wheel-to-wheel over second. Brian finally broke away from his younger brother and set oul after Damron. He drafted past the California at the start/finish line at the beginning of lap eight, and Kevin moved into second when Damron slipped off the groove in tum three on lap nine. The Athertons were neck 'n' neck. coming off of turn four on the final lap. Kevin attempted to draft his older brother al the start/finish line, but Brian held on to claim by the width of a wheel the last spot on the National starting grid. National Carr was the first rider off the line when the green light signaled the start of the 25-lap feature race. He held the lOp spot through the first . lap, and crossed the start/finish line Dan Ingram finished fourth 'in the National and now holds down third in the point standings behind Chris Carr and Terry Poovey. wilh Parker, Ingram, Morehead, Chandler and Poovey in tow. By the end of lap two, Parker was out front, Carr held second and teammates Ingram and Morehead rounded out the top four. Poovey had taken fifth from Chandler. Exiting turn two on the next lap Parker simply powered away from the battle behind him. There would be no catching Michigan's defending Grand National Champion. For two laps Ingram and Carr ran wheel-to-wheel .for second, and Ingram finally took the position from Carr as the duo entered turn lhree on lap four. The fifth lap saw Parker turn a 39.08-second lap, and fast qualifier Jones, who was running in the top 10, dropping out of the race for repairs when an air cleaner fell off one of his Honda's carburetors. Villella found himself out of the battle on the next lap when his engine went dead on one cylinder, and Farris, who had started on the fronl row, was oul of action with a broken throttle cable. On the 10th lap, Parker clocked in with a 39.03 and was pulling away from an Ingram/Poovey battle for second. Carr watched from fourth, and Morehead was fighting for traction in fifth. The Findlay Flyer was followed by Chandler, Graham, Mertens, McCoy and Hames. By lap 13, Poovey and Ingram were running two abreast into the comers. They fought fiercely until lap 17 when Poovey finally broke away to grab a temporary lock on second. Parker continued to ride the wheels off his bike. On the 15th lap, Team Harley's number one rider clocked a 38. 74-second lap, the fastest lap of the night. The fierce Poovey/Ingram battle for second had slowed the two riders, allowing a hard-charging Carr to catch them. During lap 18 Carr docked a 38.75, running right on Parker's pace, and gaining ground on the fight for second. On lap 19 the order read Parker, Ingram, Poovey, Carr, Chandler, Morehead, Graham, Brian Atherton and Hames. Five laps from the end, however, both Poovey and Carr had passed Ingram, dropping him lO fourth. Cornwell had taken ninth from Hames. Carr soon drafled by Poovey on the back straight to reclaim second, and Jones was back in the race, his bike fitted with a new air cleaner. On lap 20 Parker held a 4.86second lead on Carr. Parker clocked a 39.40-second circuit on lap 22. He was trailed by Carr, Poovey, Ingram, Chandler, Graham, Morehead, Atherton, Hames and Cornwell McCoy was circulating at the back of the pack after a brief pit stop to repair a carburetor that fell off his Harley. Mertens was out of the race with undisclosed engine problems. Parker won by a straightaway. Poovey pressured Carr in the closing stages, but the Californian held his ground, forcing the Texan to be happy with third. Ingram, Chandler, Graham, Morehead, Atherton, Hames and Cornwell filled out the top 10. Roeder, Darling, McCoy, Mertens, Villella, Jones and Farris rounded out the field. "This' feels great, winning the championship here then coming back here to win again," Parker said. "We're starting our roll early this year and we're going to give them hell all year long." "A couple of times I had trouble in the corners," said Carr. "I got sucked in by the draft and it killed my momentum through the comers. I was sliding a whole bunch for the firsl 10 or 12 laps. I finally got the bike working and found my momentum." "I started the race with a used tire," Poovey said. "I probably shouldn't have done that. The tire wenl away and I couldn't get through the corners good the last five or six laps.'. Results 25-LAP NATIONAL: 1. SCali Parker (H-D); 2. Chris Carr (H-D); 3. Terry Poovey (Han); 4. Den Ingrem (Han); 5. Doug Chendler (Han); 6. Ricky Grehem (Han); 7. Steve Morehead (Han); 8. Brian Atherton (H-D); 9. Pete Hames (H-D); 10. Jon Cornwell (H-D); 11. Joe Roeder (H-D); 12. Chance Darling (H·D); 13. Willie McCoy (!:t-D); 14. Tim Menens (H-D); 15. Bryen Villella (H-D); 1 e. Ronnie Jones (Han); 17. Rodney Far,is lH-D).• AMA GRAND NATIONAL C'SHIP/CAMEL PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Chris Carr (32); 2. Terry Poovey (24): 3. Dan Ingram (21 ); 4. (TIE) Scott Parker/Steve Aseltine (20); 6. Ricky Graliam 116); 7. Scali Pearson (13): 8. Steve Morehead (12); 9. Doug Chandler (10); 10. Will Davis (9): 11. Brian Bonesteel (8); 12. (TIE) Joe Roeder/Brian Athenon (7); 14. (TIE) Pete Hames/Jon Cornwell/Jay Springsteen (6); 17. Ronnie Jones (5); 18. Chance Darling (3); 19. (TIE) Willie McCoy/Rusty Rogers (2). 11

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